A review of high internal phase Pickering emulsions: Stabilization, rheology, and 3D printing application

• Published in: Advances in colloid and interface science Vol. 324; p. 103086
• Main Authors: He, Xiao, Lu, Qingye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2024
• Subjects: 3D printing; Flocculation; High internal phase Pickering emulsions; Printing ink; Rheological behaviors; Rheological behaviors; Printing ink; High internal phase Pickering emulsions; Flocculation; 3D printing
• ISSN: 0001-8686; 1873-3727; 1873-3727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103086

High internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) is renowned for its exceptionally high-volume fraction of internal phase, leading to flocculated yet deformed emulsion droplets and unique rheological behaviors such as shear-thinning property, viscoelasticity, and thixotropic recovery. Alongside the inherent features of regular emulsion systems, such as large interfacial area and well-mixture of two immiscible liquids, the HIPPEs have been emerging as building blocks to construct three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with customized structures and programmable functions using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique, making 3D-printed HIPPE-based scaffolds attract widespread interest from various fields such as food science, biotechnology, environmental science, and energy transfer. Herein, the recent advances in preparing suitable HIPPEs as 3D printing inks for various applied fields are reviewed. This work begins with the stabilization mechanism of HIPPEs, followed by introducing the origin of their distinctive rheological behaviors and strategies to adjust the rheological behaviors to prepare more eligible HIPPEs as printing inks. Then, the compatibility between extrusion-based 3D printing and HIPPEs as building blocks was discussed, followed by a summary of the potential applications using 3D-printed HIPPE-based scaffolds. Finally, limitations and future perspectives on preparing HIPPE-based materials using extrusion-based 3D printing were presented. [Display omitted] •Interactions between high internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) droplets.•Strategies of adjusting rheological behaviors of HIPPEs towards printing inks.•Categorized applications based on inherent properties of HIPPEs.•Current challenges and future perspectives on 3D printing technique using HIPPEs.